GAGNE TO BOLTS
The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired winger Simon Gagne from the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Matt Walker and a fourth-round draft pick in 2011.
What does it give the Tampa Bay Lightning
Gagne should immediately help the Bolts improve on last season's 2.6 goals per game (8th-fewest in the NHL). His veteran savvy and scoring touch should also take pressure off both the emerging Steven Stamkos and returning veterans Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. The Lightning get a bit of a steal here in Gagne--especially if he can stay healthy. Moreover, if he doesn't pan out, the team frees up major cap space for '11-12.
What does it give the Philadelphia Flyers
Gagne is set to earn $5.25 Million in the coming season, so dropping that helps the Flyers get closer to under the NHL's projected salary cap. They have plenty of scoring to fill the void (thanks to the rise of Ville Leino and the addition of Nikolai Zherdev), and while it's obviously not a great return asset-wise for a player of Gagne's leadership and scoring abilities, Gagne becomes an unrestricted free agent after the coming campaign. So, Philly at least gets something here in return for a player they could have lost after next season (and is injury-prone). Walker is a bit more affordable, and adds some defensive depth. The pick is added value.
Fantasy impact
